My Uncle Had a Heart Attack on Jan 15th

Hiya friends! {{{{{{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}

Sorry I haven't been around. I haven't been feeling well for one thing.

The other is serious... my Uncle Ed, who just turned 65 this year (who I call Uncle Dad or Uncle Dude, he is the one who raised me and my two brothers) had a heart attack on January 15th when he was doing a remodeling job in Arkansas. He never had any signs of problems, it just hit him one day at work. My Dad noticed the signs, as he has problems with blockages, angina, etc and gave my uncle nitro twice and an aspirin before the ambulance arrived, he saved his life by doing so. The ambulance gave him another dose of nitro on the way to the hospital. He was then sent to another hospital after he was stabilized that had a cath lab. The 2nd hospital did emergency angioplasty surgery to check for blockages, etc and found many problems. They were unable to do any stents or anything because he had 4 arteries that were terribly blocked. The main artery, called the "widowmaker" is 98/99% blocked, another is 97% blocked, another 92% blocked, and the 4th is like 85% blocked. He has also contracted the MRSA staff infection somehow, so they have been unable to do ANY type of surgery since, being afraid the infection would spread and get to his heart and then they said he wouldn't have a chance. The only way they would do surgery is if he had another heart attack and then they'd do the emergency bypass surgery and hope for the best.

Anyways, he's been in the hospital in Pine Bluff, Arkansas since January 15th, still there, and he has undergone antibiotics intravaneously (IV) and also blood thinners, fluids, taking a high blood pressure pill twice a day now (he's never had high blood pressure until this) and they are going to do surgery at 9am January 28th to put a stent in his main artery that is 98/99% blocked. Then they plan on keeping him for a few more days, until Wednesday the 30th and then we'll get to take him back home to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We're praying for a quick surgery with no problems and that this stent will help him not have another heart attack before he finds a surgeon to do his bypass surgery in Tulsa.

He has to go through a 5 hour drive back to Tulsa from Arkansas and he's very sore from being laid up in a hospital bed, but he will be glad to be back home and sleep in his own bed for a few days. Depending on how long until we can get him in to see a surgeon to do his bypass surgery. It is also dependant on if his MRSA infection is gone completely too. I guess he will always be a carrier, as he contracted it before, but got rid of it. But it's came back. Grrr! The nurse says the type of work he does is probably the cause of getting it in the first place. He remodels homes, businesses, etc and is always handling the nasty stuff, gutting the inside of buildings, etc. Dirty dirty!

I will be leaving tomorrow, Sunday Jan 27th with my father to go back to Pine Bluff, Arkansas so I can be there for his stent surgery and then help take care of him until he gets to come back home.

I was there the day he had his heart attack until January 20th, helping take care of him, and would still be there, but I had to come home to get all my medications and pick up my pain medications that couldn't be faxed or called in. Grrr! You'd think in emergency situations there should/could be a way around that, but nopes. I've been wanting to go back to him every day, but my car won't make it and nobody else has driven that way, so I couldn't catch a ride. But now I have one with my father tomorrow and will be by my Uncle Ed's side again and there if he needs me.

I just wanted to update everyone on where I've been and what's been going on.

Please say prayers for my Uncle, he's going to need them, as he has some tough surgeries and then a very serious one coming up, the triple/quadruple bypass. I am so scared and don't know what I'd do without him in my life and pray to God he makes it through this. He is very strong and healthy otherwise, so I'm sure he'll be fine, but I can't help worrying, along with everyone else. My uncle is my hero, my idol, he is the one I wrote about in my About Me page. He is always there if you need help, no questions asked. He never does things for himself, but for his family. He gets enjoyment out of seeing his family/blood learn or have fun (like fishing, hunting, fixing cars, etc). He works like a dog every day from the time he gets up, until the time he falls asleep in bed exhausted at night. He is my hero and I love him so much.

We need all the prayers we can get for him right now and for a speedy recovery after his bypass surgery.

Thanks all, ahead of time, for the prayers for him...I miss all of you!

Much Love,
Samantha